Comp Lit 241: Adventures in Audio Storytelling was a collaborative and interactive introduction to audio composition—in other words, writing with sound. Most commonly known today as podcasting, this form draws its standards and principles from many other textual and artistic genres, most obviously older forms of broadcasting like radio and television, while at the same time forging out in new, exciting directions.

We began by cultivating a practice of close listening as we investigated the building blocks of what makes great radio and podcast stories. Students were exposed to a wide variety of formats, styles and subjects of audio narrative and documentary—from historic radio productions, to iconic proto-podcasts in the NPR tradition (like This American Life), to new, experimental and amateur podcasts—and challenged to begin listening like radio producers: what brings these stories to life? what choices did the creators make? what are the sonic raw materials of the piece, and how were they put together? Students were asked to reflect on the podcasts they already listen to: what first hooked them? what keeps them coming back? 

Through a series of gradually deepening prompts and exercises, we simultaneously began to develop the skills to produce audio narrative compositions of our own, including storytelling, recording, interviewing, & editing/mixing. Our practical training was supported by workshops and site visits to audio facilities at the University of Michigan: the Duderstadt Center on North Campus and Shapiro Design Lab on Central Campus, with special thanks to Justin Schell, Tom Bray, and Ryan Wilcox. Guest speakers from the professional audio world provided invaluable perspectives from their research and experience: Juliet Hinely, Laura Garbes, and Zak Rosen.

Throughout most of the term, each student worked on a mini-podcast (or podcast pilot episode) final project of their own design, in which they practiced and experimented with their growing audio skills. (Listen to sample student projects here.)

This training in practical skills was accompanied by reading and listening exercises designed to contextualize and enrich students' understanding of the history and politics of radio and podcasting, supplemented with analytic tools from the critical discourses of media theory and sound studies, and queer and feminist theory, as we sought to critically contextualize the past, present and future of podcasting as an art form and an industry.

• Develop a practice of active close listening

• Practice analyzing complex podcasts the way you read a written text, breaking them down into their component parts and the production choices and work behind them, from both a storytelling and technical perspective

• Center curiosity, flexibility & exploration as we gradually build our audio skills & practice various strategies for telling stories with sound

• Develop sensitivity toward the power dynamics inherent to recording and editing someone else’s story, consider the ethical dimensions of the narrative choices you make

• Learn and practice composition skills specific to audio: storytelling, writing for audio, narrating, interviewing, etc.

• Learn professional strategies for using everyday tools like a smartphone or portable audio recorder to capture great audio, with the opportunity to gain experience with more advanced equipment

• Gain familiarity with DAW software like Garageband, Audacity and Adobe Audition to edit your audio into a podcast, mixing together multiple tracks including interviews, narration, field recordings, music and sound effects

• Participate in critique sessions to practice giving and receiving constructive feedback on audio narratives in progress, while developing strategies for self-assessment, self-reflection and revision

• Situate contemporary audio storytelling practices in their broader historical, political and media theoretical context

Comp Lit 241 met in person for 80 minutes twice a week. Class time was spent on a combination of discussion, listening exercises, practical demonstrations, activities and workshops. There were 16 students in the course.

Students also completed regular listening and/or reading homework, as well as low-stakes audio experiments, to help prepare for concepts explored in the following class session. In support of our goal of foregrounding curiosity and experimentation, student assignments and course participation were not quantitatively evaluated—instead, they were assessed on a credit / no-credit basis according to the course's labor-based grading policy, which also determined the final course grade. Major assignments additionally received peer and instructor feedback, in the frame of a structured workshop session.

COMING SOON

• Audio Playground Mini Project

• Audio Scrapbook

COMING SOON

Click here to visit the Student Work page.